Mrs. Safiya Alshibani | Family Business Succession | Women Researcher Award

Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University | Saudi Arabia

Safiya Mukhtar Alshibani is an accomplished entrepreneurship scholar and academic leader with extensive expertise in strategic management, innovation, and entrepreneurial well-being. She holds a PhD in Entrepreneurship from the University of Western Australia, an MSc in Strategic Management and Innovation from the Dublin Institute of Technology, and additional qualifications in new venture creation and human resource management. With significant experience as Vice Dean of Educational Affairs and Assistant Professor, she has led major academic programs, international collaborations, and curriculum development initiatives across higher education. Dr. Alshibani has also served as a consultant for national institutions, contributing to entrepreneurship education, digital transformation, eLearning quality, and large-scale data initiatives. Her research focuses on entrepreneurial well-being, sustainable entrepreneurship, innovation, family business succession, digital transformation, AI adoption, and women’s entrepreneurship, with numerous publications in high-impact journals and international conferences. She has secured several competitive research grants and contributed to global projects such as GUESSS. Recognized for her contributions, she received the Best Entrepreneurial Pedagogy Research Paper Award (2025) and the Outstanding Leadership in Education Award (2024). Dr. Alshibani continues to advance entrepreneurial research and education through her scholarly work, leadership roles, and commitment to empowering future innovators.

Featured Publications

Shaik, A. S., Alshibani, S. M., Jain, G., Gupta, B., & Mehrotra, A. (2024). Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven strategic business model innovations in small- and medium-sized enterprises: Insights on technological and strategic enablers for carbon … Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(4), 2731–2751.

Kautish, P., Siddiqui, M., Siddiqui, A., Sharma, V., & Alshibani, S. M. (2023). Technology-enabled cure and care: An application of innovation resistance theory to telemedicine apps in an emerging market context. Technological Forecasting & Social Change.

Al Halbusi, H., Popa, S., Alshibani, S. M., & Soto-Acosta, P. (2024). Greening the future: Analyzing green entrepreneurial orientation, green knowledge management and digital transformation for sustainable innovation and circular economy. European Journal of Innovation Management.

Shaik, A. S., Alshibani, S. M., Mishra, S., Papa, A., & Cuomo, M. T. (2023). Does learning from innovation failure enhance innovation performance? A quantitative investigation of small businesses. Technovation, 127, 102818.

Broccardo, L., Vola, P., Zicari, A., & Alshibani, S. M. (2023). Contingency-based analysis of the drivers and obstacles to a successful sustainable business model: Seeking the uncaptured value. Technological Forecasting & Social Change.

Dr. Amon Exavery | Longitudinal impact evaluation methods for non-experimental interventions | Best Researcher Award

Pact Tanzania

Dr. Amon Exavery is a distinguished statistician and public health researcher with over 15 years of professional experience in research, evaluation, and learning. He holds a Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Dodoma, an MSc in Population-based Field Epidemiology from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and a BA in Statistics from the University of Dar es Salaam. Currently serving as the Senior Research and Learning Advisor at Pact Tanzania, he has led large-scale health and social service research projects, including the ACHIEVE and Kizazi Kipya programs—the largest OVC initiatives in Africa. His expertise spans quantitative and qualitative methodologies, impact evaluation, statistical modeling, and capacity building for data-driven decision-making. Dr. Exavery’s research interests include HIV/AIDS, OVC programming, WASH, malaria, nutrition, family planning, gender inclusion, reproductive and child health, and sustainable livelihoods. He has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications and presented at numerous international conferences. His analytical leadership has influenced public health strategies and policies across sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Exavery has also provided consultancy services to WHO, Columbia University, NAS, and other institutions, reflecting his global contribution to evidence-based health programming. His career exemplifies excellence in applying data science to advance public health and social development outcomes.

Profile: ORCID

Featured Publications

Exavery, A., Kirigiti, P. J., Balan, R. T., & Charles, J. (2026, February). Enhancing longitudinal impact evaluation of non-experimental interventions: A comparative analysis of generalized estimating equations and multilevel models based on empirical evaluation of temporal change in food security following an economic empowerment intervention. Evaluation and Program Planning, 107, 102722.

Exavery, A., Kirigiti, P. J., Balan, R. T., & Charles, J. (2025). Determinants of participation in WORTH Yetu economic empowerment intervention among caregivers of orphaned and vulnerable children in Tanzania: A longitudinal multivariable logistic regression analysis. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 15, 101959.

Exavery, A., Kirigiti, P. J., Balan, R. T., & Charles, J. (2024, August). Longitudinal evaluation of the influence of WORTH Yetu on household economic status based on the count of non-asset resources for orphaned and vulnerable children’s well-being in Tanzania. Child Indicators Research, 17, 10133–10145.

Exavery, A., Katbi, M., Kirigiti, P. J., Balan, R. T., & Charles, J. (2024, April 16). Multivariate mixed-effects ordinal logistic regression models with difference-in-differences estimator of the impact of WORTH Yetu on household hunger and socioeconomic status among OVC caregivers in Tanzania. PLOS ONE, 19(4), e0301578.

Exavery, A., Alam, K., Charles, J., Barankena, A., Bajaria, S., Minja, E., Mulikuza, J., Mbwambo, T., Ally, A., Mseya, R., & others. (2022, February 25). Impact of household economic strengthening intervention on food security among caregivers of orphans and vulnerable children in Tanzania. PLOS ONE, 17(2), e0264315.

Mrs. Safiya Alshibani | Family Business Succession | Women Researcher Award

Mrs. Safiya Alshibani | Family Business Succession | Women Researcher Award

Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University | Saudi Arabia

Profile: Google Scholar

Featured Publications